Status

Having the computer hooked up to the TV monitor sucks!!!

One little item to note: Megan has finally figured out what "Fickle Obsessor" is all about. And she has become one herself!

I'm signing off for a little while but I will be back to posting once my laptop comes in from work (hopefully within the next couple of weeks, but you never know with them).

Until then...see ya!

Tax increase: to vote, or not to vote

Being a government employee in my own city, I often feel torn on voting to increase taxes. This time it's a 1% sales tax increase. If it goes through, I'll be looking at 9.75% sales tax everytime I buy something in Chula Vista! That's ridiculous.

If it doesn't pass, our director's been keeping quiet so I have no idea the impact it will have on our department. I've been told my job's secure but you never really know. I'm fairly certain a few of my co-workers will be laid off. Plus just about all city services will be scaled back tremendously.

On the other hand, is this just a bailout for years of politician's and incompetent city official's mismanagement of funds? I believe the short answer is yes but most if those people are gone. My old neighbor used to be Asst. City Manager and on his way out, he told my boss to prepare for financial collapse in this city. That was over 5 years ago. Apparently this isn't really a new issue but now it's more relevant.

What would you do if you were me?

For you CV residents, how will you vote?

Change

This is only a temporary change to my template. Found a lot of templates that I liked but a lot of the functionality wasn't there so enjoy the nice side of a house in the meantime.

Food

I always wanted to believe that sugar and fat were acquired tastes. "My dad used to give me Hershey's bars when I was a kid so that's why I like them today." Or, "Those fries are gross because I never got used to them as a kid."

I always wanted to believe that was the case so I could blame my taste buds on my parents. But all too often, personal accountability shines up on the marquee.

On a similar note, Megan and I were talking about control and how food consumption is something we have control over. All too often we tend to get carried away trying to make up for a lack of control in other areas of our lives by allowing ourselves to eat unhealthy foods. I never thought of it that way but now I can buy into the theory of how self-confidence can affect your weight (I'd think primarily your diet but exercise as well). If you have a high self-worth, you don't worry about being controlled in other aspects of your life and then focus on keeping control of the things you eat. If you change your outlook on what you eat, and take control of wanting to eat healthy, it should be just as easy to pass on that ice cream sandwich as it is to scarf down those cookies.

Granted, we were discussing this over a bowl of fried potato wedges covered in cheese and bacon, followed by fried cheese filled ravioli and a philly cheese steak sandwich. A change of outlook on life doesn't often come over dinner. It generally takes at least a day to kick in.

On a similar note, our son, Noah, has quite a bit of a problem. Noah is not really a big eater...or an eater at all for that matter. He chooses to get his nutrition through liquid formula, and nothing else. He'll occasionally suck down a few spoonfuls of pureed veges or some yogurt but rarely will he get through an entire "meal". Often, we'll give him something "solid" like pureed carrots and the second it hits his tongue, he starts gagging like it's poison. If it wasn't so frustrating, it would be hilarious. He has, in the past, gagged to the point of throwing all his formula up because a baby puff touched his tongue. I think Noah has taken the control issue to a whole new level.

Let's hope in the near future, he'll decide food isn't all bad.

Brain Pain

For the record, if you didn't already think I was weird...

I don't why, but the other day I started to think about time. What is time really but just something we use to define our life slipping away. It doesn't stick around and wait for us. It doesn't make a comeback when "times" are tough to be "easy".

It's in a never ending perpetual state of motion because if it wasn't...there would be nothing. Everything takes time. It takes me approximately 5.5 seconds to breathe in and breathe out. If time stopped, where would I get my breaths?

My mind is just starting to go crazy...

What really baffles me is God created the heavens and the earth BEFORE time!!! WHAT??? And for non-believers to think that the universe is infinite...just makes my brain hurt. I have a hard time understanding how a little device about 2 inches wide can keep perfect time. How did the people that thought of these ideas come up with this stuff? But to start thinking universally about the expanse of the "timeless" universe makes me want to cry.

I think I'll just try to wrap my head around how a tree can turn into paper. I think I can handle that one.